Decisions
by appleslovetea
Summary: Asami and Akihito are enjoying a few days of rest at a resort by the sea. All is going well until Akihito unexpectedly starts feeling ill... A sudden 'illness' that might end up destroying his relationship with Asami (MPreg fic)
1. PART I

**Decisions**

* * *

><p>He felt Asami's thumb stroking his mouth, seconds before the older man's tongue glided across his lower lip.<p>

Akihito couldn't see anything behind the silk blindfold covering his eyes, but his sense of touch was heightened beyond belief.

With a shallow sigh he opened his mouth unsurprised that Asami instantly took hold of the opportunity to slide inside it; his tongue gently brushing against the younger man's.

Hoping for control, Akihito kept himself absolutely still against the plush cushions of the hotel's king size bed. He was on the verge of losing it though; his erection so hard it was starting to hurt him. Yet, he still couldn't bring himself to ask the other man for release. He hated feeling so needy.

Thankfully, Asami was quick to realize his discomfort.

A quiet chuckle was all Akihito heard before Asami moved his torso up on the bed, while his hand swept over the younger man's crotch area; the sudden contact nevertheless making the latter jerk away from him.

"Hey, let me touch you." Asami groaned, shifting his whole body weight so that he could trap Akihito beneath him, at the same time forcing the young man's bare legs open with his knee.

Akihito didn't know what to think anymore. His brain had turned into mush, seeming to only react to the other man's arousing scent.

How he ended up digging his fingers deep on Asami's shoulders was beyond Akihito's understanding. He didn't even realize he'd done such a thing until he heard the older man hiss in pain.

Before Akihito had a chance to apologize though, Asami took his mouth in his own a hell of a lot less gently than before.

The harder Asami kissed him though, the harder Akihito found himself kissing back, until it felt like they were dueling and every muscle in the young man's body was twitching to be possessed by Asami.

It was around that time Akihito felt _it_ again.

Like in the previous occasions, it started off as a quick pang in the pit of his stomach, followed closely by another one, more intense, which momentarily robbed him of his breath.

In a matter of seconds, the nausea hit Akihito full on; his stomach twisting and turning anxiously, making him brake into a cold sweat.

He knew what was coming next…

Struggling to push himself up, Akihito yanked the blindfold from his eyes, only to find the man he called his lover staring back at him with a hint of concern on his face.

"What's wrong?" Asami asked, seeing Akihito gasp for air while holding a hand to his stomach.

"Nothing. J-Just give me a second."

The room was spinning around thru Akihito's eyes and as a fresh wave of nausea threatened to engulf him, he knew he was a goner.

Without another word, Akihito scrambled to his feet, and all but ran to the suite's bathroom where he barely had time to lift the toilet seat before emptying the contents of his uneasy stomach directly into it.

The task took less than 30 seconds this time around, although he figured that after spending the better part of the previous two days going thru the exact same routine, there wasn't much left in his stomach to empty.

Still gasping, though feeling far less queasy now, Akihito dragged himself to the sink, washing away the bitter taste of vomit from his mouth.

He didn't know when Asami ended up joining him in the bathroom; only that he sensed the older man's presence near him even before he looked up to see him.

When he did, he found the Asami leaning against the bathroom's doorframe; his toned arms crossed in front of his chest; the same concerned look clouding his features.

"Again?..." He asked, eyeing Akihito's sickly look.

"I'm fine… It's just stomach flu."

Somehow Akihito's words didn't manage to convince the other man, who slowly walked towards him, placing a hand under his chin and forcing Akihito to look him straight in the eyes.

"You've been throwing up far too much for it to be a simple case of stomach flu. I want you to go see a doctor tomorrow."

"It's nothing. Don't make such a fuss about it."

"Takaba..." Asami warned.

"But we're on vacation!"

"Exactly. Do you want to spend the next four days throwing up as well? The hotel has a resident doctor. I'll have Kirishima schedule an appointment for you tomorrow."

"But..."

"No 'buts'."

Asami's tone was a clear indication any further discussions on the topic were pointless. Sighing in defeat, Akihito found himself being slowly guided back to bed, but surprisingly Asami didn't seem inclined to resume their previous activities.

Instead, the older man tugged on Akihito's arm, easing him onto bed alongside him and then pulled the youngster's back towards him so that they were practically spooning.

Akihito supposed Asami sensed his surprise because the latter soon spoke up, his breath tickling the back of the younger man's neck.

"Go to sleep. I'll give you a night off." Asami said; a hint of amusement in his voice as he leisurely glided an arm around Akihito's torso beneath the covers.

It was a long time before the younger man managed to follow his request though...

"What the bloody hell's wrong with me?" Akihito mumbled after his lover had fallen asleep, his hand massaging his upset stomach.

No answer to his question came obviously and Akihito was left only with a deep uneasy feeling, which kept him wide awake almost until dawn.

(to be continued)


	2. PART II

**A/N: **Many thanks for your interest in the story and HAPPY NEW YEAR! :)))

**Decisions**

* * *

><p>The doctor eyed his patient cautiously from across the desk. The young man didn't seem to be taking the news regarding his 'condition' all that well.<p>

"I gather from your reaction that the pregnancy wasn't planned..." He started, trying to bring the expectant parent out of his catatonic state.

The only answer he received in return though was a shy shake of his patient's head.

The doctor sighed. He'd seen this type of reaction before.

"I suppose male pregnancies seldom are planned." He commented."...They're also quite rare. I assume you weren't aware you were one of those who can bear childr..."

Another shake of the patient's head (quite vigorous this time) sufficed as an answer to the physician's latest question; no words accompanying the action.

All in all, it seemed as if the young man had lost the ability to speak as soon as he'd heard the unexpected news concerning his state; his present demeanor a complete contrast to the carefree attitude he had displayed when he'd first entered the doctor's examination room an hour before.

The man's cheeks were crimson red as though he was embarrassed by his condition and his eyes had barely left his lap, where his hands lay numb over his knees.

Taking advantage of the momentary silence, the physician quickly went over the data his assistant nurse had gathered from the patient prior to the consultation.

24 years old. Non-smoker. No known health issues. Healthy eating and exercise habits.

Pregnancy wise, the young man seemed to have a good chance to carry it all the way through.

"H-How...How far along am I?"

The patient's voice was so low, the doctor barely registered it.

It was only when he shifted his eyes away from the computer screen that he noticed the anxious look on the younger man's face. Anxious… and scared.

He'd seen that type of look before on some of his patients too...

"Well, an ultrasound would be needed to establish the exact gestation stage, but I think it is safe to assume that you are between 6 and 8 weeks."

Akihito couldn't help but widen his eyes at the remark. Between 6 and 8 weeks already? ! His brain fought hard to remember the occasion that might had been responsible for the predicament he was now in. That is, until he realized just how ridiculous he was being.

He and Asami had sex most nights they were together and rarely used any protection. The 'deed' could have been accomplished any time in the past really.

Akihito suddenly felt like laughing at his own naiveté.

"Takaba-san..." The doctor's voice cut through his musings. He was scribbling something down on a prescription notepad.

"As is common knowledge, male pregnancies, aside from being rarer, are also far more prone to miscarriages than female ones. I would advise you to seek out your personal doctor as soon as you return home. The fetus' development will need to be monitored closely in order to anticipate any problems." The doctor said, reaping the piece of paper he'd been writing on from the pad and handing it to Akihito. "In the meantime, you'll need to start taking these vitamin supplements. Male bodies can't produce all the vitamins required to sustain the pregnancy on their own. The sooner you start taking them, the better for you and your child."

Akihito took the prescription paper in his hand, realizing for the first time how much he was shaking. He half-registered in his mind thanking the physician for his time and getting up from the chair he'd been seating on, feeling lightheaded and queasy.

He knew he was probably coming off as severely weird and emotionally detached to the other man but he couldn't help it. He felt as if his entire world had suddenly been turned upside down.

A child? ! _He_ was carrying a child? His _and_ Asami's? What the bloody hell was he going to do?... On second thought, forget about him. What was _Asami_ going to say and do when he'd find out?

Akihito's hand was already on the door handle ready to open it, when he heard the doctor's voice again behind him.

"Takaba-san."

"Yes?"

The old man was frowning at him now, still unsure whether his patient considered the unexpected pregnancy good or bad news.

"Your pregnancy is not perceivable yet to others, but you'll start showing very soon..."

Akihito swallowed hard, his eyes widening in sudden panic.

The doctor sighed again, suddenly more convinced of his patient's inclination towards the news he'd received.

"I guess what I am trying to say is that if by any chance your decision is to terminate the pregnancy, you must do it soon. If you wait too long, you'll put your life at risk."

It took a couple of seconds for Akihito's brain to figure out what the physician was saying.

When he did, he felt his insides churn. More so because he realized that _that_ possibility had been the first thought to cross his mind as soon as he'd heard the news he was with child.

* * *

><p>(Later that afternoon)<p>

Asami Ryuuichi considered himself to be a patient man. He was even admired by those who knew him well for that quality.

Indeed, very few things were known to crack the black market leader's usual cool and collected composure.

…Putting up with annoying brats while he was trying to relax by the poolside was, however, one of them.

"Hey mister!" The child standing next to Asami's lounge chair called out to him again. "What are you doing?"

Asami eyed the intruding infant, trying very hard not to lash out at him for disturbing his peace. The boy did not look more than 5 years old.

"I'm _trying_ to read." He answered factually, returning his gaze towards the newspaper in his hands and hoping his reply would be enough to satisfy the kid's curiosity and send him on his way.

No such luck though…

"And what are you trying to read, mister?" The infant asked innocently, while further approaching Asami's chair.

"A newspaper." The older man said , instinctively moving away from the kid, as if the child was somehow carrying the plague with him.

"And are there any pictures in your newspaper, mister?"

"Don't you have anyone else around here to pester?" Asami asked, giving the kid one of his trademark menacing looks, only to quickly realize that in his innocence, the child was still immune to intimidation maneuvers.

That said, the boy still seemed to find his new acquaintance's question odd, because he suddenly tilted his head ever so slightly to the side and stared at the older man more intently.

Asami sighed in defeat, lowering the newspaper onto his lap.

"Where are your parents, kid?"

Glad to have the grown up's full attention now, the boy smiled victoriously. "My daddy is back in Tokyo doing very important things." He answered proudly. "He's the president of an entire bank, you know? And my mommy is over there talking on her cellphone. She's busy organizing a very big party for lots of people. People with lots of money pay to go to the parties my mommy organizes and then she sends the money to poor people all over the world, you know? She does!"

Asami looked ahead to where the child was pointing, soon spotting the woman in question.

She was walking back and forth along the poolside, talking lively through an earpiece while noting down something on her ipad... She didn't look like she was aware she had a kid running around nearby.

Asami stared back at the hyper infant and suppressed a tired grunt.

"Great! A neglected rich kid. Just my luck." He thought to himself.

"Can I read the newspaper with you, mister? Can I? I already know my ABCs. My nanny taught me. A is for apple, B is for…"

"Tell me something." Asami quickly interrupted, forcing out a smile. "Do you like ice-cream?"

The kid's eyes sparkled at the word. "Ice-cream? Yes! I love ice-cream!"

"Great. Would you like some?"

Needless to mention, the boy nodded enthusiastically at the proposal.

"That's good." Asami replied, smiling genuinely this time while signaling to a nearby hotel staff member to come closer.

"Yes, Asami-sama?" The other man said, as soon as he reached his client. "How may I be of assistance?"

"Do you mind taking this boy to the café area and getting him some ice-cream? Give him as much as he wants. My treat. And make sure he gets back to his mother afterwards…"Asami requested, pointing toward the boy's parent. "…and that he stays there." He added in a way that made the staff member realize the kid was not to come near him again under any circumstances.

"Yes, of course, Asami-sama." The hotel employer replied, suppressing a knowing smile. "Our apologies for any inconveniences caused… Come along now, boy." He added, quickly ushering the boy away.

"Thanks, mister!" The infant still called out to Asami, before happily trotting behind the staff member.

Finally alone and grinning satisfied at his own suave intelligence, Asami leaned back against the lounge chair, closing his eyes for a moment and enjoying the feel of the warm sunrays caressing his face.

"I think what you just did qualifies as child bribery, you know?"

Asami shrugged, the ghost of a smile appearing on his lips. "It got the kid to leave me alone, didn't it?" He said, opening his eyes to find Akihito sitting sideways on the lounge chair next to his.

He took a few moments to stare at the younger man in silence taking advantage of the fact that Akihito seemed distracted, eyeing the child at a distance.

They had been staying at the resort for less than a week, but Akihito was already quite tanned; a healthy glow emanating from his complexion.

"You really don't like children, do you?"

Asami found the question odd, but still ended up following the photographer's gaze toward the child who was now pestering the café waiter, asking the poor man to pile more than the advisable number of ice-cream swoops into his cone.

"What's there to like?" Asami replied with a grimace. "They are noisy, bothersome, annoying, and more than often a pain in the ass."

"…Were _you_ a pain in the ass when you were a child?"

He turned his head back to find Akihito smiling strangely at him. "I can't remember. Probably…" The older man answered truthfully. "I was a spoiled brat, I guess. Most only-childs are."

"Yeah, me too…"

Again, the older man noticed that odd smile on Akihito's lips, which made him frown despite himself. Was something up with the photographer?

"Hey, Asami,… have you ev-"

The young man didn't have a chance to finish his sentence though, for a more energetic voice was suddenly heard right next to Asami.

"Hey mister! Is that your son?"

The business man was cursing to himself even before he turned his head around to find his infant friend standing next to him again; the child's face already completely smeared with ice-cream.

"Is that your son, mister? Is it?" The boy asked again, pointing with his free hand toward Akihito.

"_What_ did you just ask me kid? !" Asami answered incredulously, while his lover burst out laughing next to him.

Luckily for all, the hotel employer previously assigned to babysitting duties swept in at the last minute, quickly dragging the child away while apologizing to his VIP guest for yet another unexpected intrusion.

Akihito was still holding on to his stomach, trying hard to stop laughing as Asami on the other hand, entertained himself by shooting daggers at the retreating infant with his eyes.

"The freaking nerve on that kid!"

"Oh, come on. That was hilarious. That boy seems like he's a riot."

"He seems like he has no manners. That's what he seems!" Asami grumbled, reaching for his cigarette pack while Akihito's laughter quietly died down.

"Hey Asami…Have… Have you ever thought about having one… some day?" Akihito asked out of the blue a few moments later, making Asami stop mid-way of lighting a cigarette against his lips.

"One what?" The older man asked back, arching an eyebrow at his lover.

"Hm…you know… A kid. Of your own?"

The business man nearly chocked on the air he was breathing. "Of course not! Why would I ever think something so stupid?"

All of a sudden, Akihito looked nervous. "O-Oh, I don't know. I-It's just that…" He stuttered, looking for the right words. "I… just thought for a moment…that it'd be fun to imagine what type of kid you'd have."

Asami snickered in return. "Not interested in the subject." He stated, blowing a cloud of smoke between his lips. "Kids are nothing but a nuisance."

"…Yeah,… I suppose they are." Akihito agreed quietly, feeling his cheeks start to burn.

"Is something wrong with you?"

"Huh, no, of course not. W-Why do you ask?"

"Nevermind." Asami said, getting up from his chair and stretching his muscles. He could have sworn for a second Akihito was about to blush. "Where were you all afternoon anyway?" He asked, changing the subject. " I searched for you all over the resort. I even sent Kirishima down to the beach to try and find you."

It was a good thing the older man wasn't looking directly at Akihito at that precise moment, otherwise he'd have noticed the way the latter fidgeted nervously.

"I…just went for a walk around town." The photographer replied, starting to walk alongside his lover toward their villa inside the resort.

He tried to sound as natural as possible, so as to not raise the other man's suspicions. The truth was that Akihito had spent the last few hours walking aimlessly around the nearby town, trying to figure out what on earth he was going to do with his life, and more importantly, how he was ever going to find the courage to break the news to Asami about his pregnancy.

Needless to say, their talk just now had not helped his cause one bit.

At some point in his aimless journey, Akihito had found himself in front of a pharmacy, and propped by an unexplainable force had went into the establishment and bought the vitamins that the doctor had prescribed him to take, which now rested inside the inner pocket of his jacket.

Not that he had any desire to start taking them anytime soon. At this point Akihito wasn't even sure whether or not he desired the life growing inside him. Everything about the whole situation still felt so surreal to him, he did not know what to think!

"Akihito!" A voice called out to him, interrupting his dark thoughts.

"Akihito, did you even listen to what I said?" Asami asked. The older man was frowning at him again.

The photographer laughed apologetically. "Sorry. Got distracted there for a minute. What was it you were saying?"

Asami seemed to let his slip pass this time; he was looking normally at the youngster again soon enough. "I was asking you if Kirishima has pestered you any further because of the birthday party?"

Ah yes, Asami's upcoming 37th birthday party, which Kirishima had taken upon himself to organize and to turn into _the_ socialite event of the year in Tokyo,… even though the birthday 'boy' had specifically instructed him _not_ to.

"Huh… no, he's been pretty quiet about it lately." Akihito confessed, even though his words caused Asami to grimace darkly.

"It's not good when he's this quiet. It means he's up to something."

"But isn't he going on vacation tonight? Maybe he's given up on the party."

Asami snickered in reply. It was clear Akihito did not know Kirishima Kyo as well as Asami did.

He was about to provide Akihito with one of his assistant's many excessive diligence stories when a commotion broke out somewhere behind them.

A woman's shrieking voice reached their ears, making them both turn around to look at the pool area where they had come from.

The sight that greeted them was an unexpected one.

It seemed Asami's young friend had a knack for being a menace. The boy had somehow found an enormous lizard in the garden beside the pool, had picked it up and now seemed intent on wanting his mother to pet it, chasing after her between the lounge chairs, while the woman ran frantically away from her son, clearly afraid of the animal he was carrying in his hands.

Quite unexpectedly, Akihito heard his lover start laughing wholeheartedly at the scene.

He must have had a curious look on his face because Asami apparently felt the need to justify his reaction.

"Well, it's not like I _hate_ kids altogether." The older explained. "They _can_ be entertaining…At times…At a considerable distance."

Akihito did not look convinced, which made Asami smile somewhat.

"OK, I confess I'm not fond of them in general, but I suppose deep down I never gave much thought to kids because I can't have them." The older man shrugged.

Akihito felt his heart skip a beat all of a sudden. "W-What? !…W-What do you mean you can't have them?"

Asami took a long drag from his cigarette before answering. "I have too many enemies, Takaba. I can't afford to have children. They'd be walking targets. Used against me at the first opportunity my enemies would get." He confessed, failing to notice just how much Akihito had gone pale all of a sudden. "Besides, I'm not really father material to begin with. Wouldn't know what to do with a kid in the first place… Furthermore, I already have one troublesome brat in my life." He added with a grin, ruffling Akihito's hair before resuming his walk toward their villa.

Akihito stayed put where he was for a long while though, unable to move as he watched Asami's retreating form. His hand automatically went to his stomach, squeezing it, above the fabric of his t-shirt. He was starting to feel nauseous again.

"Shit!" He thought, running over Asami's words in his mind. "Now what am I going to do?"

(to be continued)


	3. PART III

**Decisions**

**PART III**

* * *

><p>Akihito paced back and forth over the wooden floorboards of the villa's bedroom, stopping now and again to hear whether or not the shower was still running in the adjoining bath area.<p>

From his calculations, Asami would be stepping out of the shower any minute now, giving the young man more or less five minutes to finish structuring inside his head everything he needed to disclose to his lover.

Not the longest stretch of time, considering Akihito had to find an ingenious way to break the news to children-hater Asami that he was to be gifted in a few months' time with an annoying, cumbersome specimen of the kind.

Because that much at least Akihito had already decided. He was going to come clean with Asami regarding his pregnancy and then the two of them would figure out what the hell to do.

The pregnancy wasn't all Akihito's fault, after all. The other man needed to be held accountable for his share on the case... The photographer just had to somehow gather the necessary courage to tell him. A feat which was clearly easier said than done!

Stopping in front of the large mirror next to the bed and staring intently at his own reflection in it, Akihito tried to voice the words out loud for the first time.

"I'm pregnant." He said more boldly than he'd expected, only to see his reflection's complexion turn instantly greenish and its hand coming up to hold its stomach fiercely, thus preventing lunch from coming out the wrong end and re-decorating the nearby furniture.

Asami seemed to have heard Akihito nearly heave all the way from the bathroom though, because his voice soon reached the younger man.

"Takaba? Are you ok?" He asked, turning off the showerhead, seemingly for good this time.

"Y-Yeah. I'm fine. Everything's fine." Akihito quickly assured him out loud. "Everything's fucking peachy!" He added sarcastically to himself, as he leaned against the mirror's frame, taking long, deep breaths to calm himself down. The last thing he needed was to throw up all over Asami in the middle of his confession.

"Damnit! Get a grip on yourself, Takaba!" He ended up voicing out loud...not expecting to hear any other voice in return.

"Takaba-san?" Someone said behind him.

The young man cursed silently as he turned round to face jis speaker. Of all times Kirishima Kyo could step into the scene, this had to be the absolute worse.

"Ah, there you are, Takaba-san! I thought I had heard your voice." The man said, stopping short of acknowledging Akihito's sickly look. "...Is everything ok with you? You look quite pale." And then as if he'd suddenly remembered something important: "Did you get a chance to attend the medical appointment I scheduled for you today?"

"Yes. I went this afternoon." Akihito answered, making his way towards the nearby couch; still holding on to his upset stomach.

"...I trust there is nothing terribly wrong with you."

_"Nothing 7 to 8 months won't cure." _Akihito thought bitterly, letting himself fall nonchalantly on the couch. "I'm great. Nothing's wrong with me." He replied instead.

"Ah, glad to hear it...Say, Takaba-san, is Asami-sama around?" The assistant asked, lowering his voice in a conspiring tone which the other man didn't register at first.

"He's in the bathroom taking a shower. Probably already getting dressed by now actually."

Akihito felt a chill run down his spine as he said the words. Any second now the older man would show up in the bedroom.

Kirishima's eyes turned briefly towards the door separating the room they were in from the bath area, before getting closer to Akihito.

"Say, Takaba-san...Do you think Asami-sama suspects anything?"

The young man startled, not understanding the meaning of the question at first.

"Ab-About what?"

"…About the preparations for his birthday getaway trip. What else?"

Akihito let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. "No." He said, throwing one of the couch's pillows over his eyes. "He doesn't suspect a thing." He added, knowing Kirishima would not understand the double meaning of his answer.

"That's great! I feared he might've caught on something by now."

"Well, he does suspect that _you_ are up to something." Akihito stated from under the pillow, hearing Kirishima huff in reply.

"I'm just looking after Asami-sama's best interests. It is not every day that one turns thirty-seven after all."

Akihito suppressed the urge to laugh, remembering that that had been the exact same excuse Kirishima had come up with the year before when he'd rented the entire top floor of Tokyo Tower for his boss' thirty-six surprise birthday party.

It was a miracle Asami had not killed him then!

"So Takaba-san, I have the plane tickets here with me." The assistant said, handing over to the young man a mid-sized envelope. "I've already worked out everything at the airport. The private jet will be ready in the morning to take you directly to Thailand for the weekend. You just need to find an excuse to get Asami-sama inside his limo. The driver will do the rest."

Akihito stared at Kirishima's proud and happy face; a complete contrast to his own at the moment, he figured.

An unwanted love child, plus a surprise getaway birthday trip? Asami was in for one hell of an unexpected birthday, that was for sure.

He let Kirishima blabber away about the many beauties of Thailand and about the activities he had planned out for him and his boss there, only nodding his head from time to time to pretend he was listening to the older man. His nausea hadn't fully subsided yet, so Akihito's attention was fully directed to trying to control his breathing.

His attention only reverted back to Asami's assistant, when he thought he'd heard the man say the words 'doctor' and 'meds' in the same sentence.

When he finally turned to look at Kirishima, who had in the meantime moved towards the nearby desk, where Akihito had left his jacket, all color was drained from the young man's face.

Kirishima was holding up the prescription medication that Akihito had carelessly left on top of his jacket.

"What funny looking vitamins! How many a day did the doctor prescribe to you?" The man asked, turning the meds' bottle in his hands, only to turn paler than Akihito as soon as his eyes caught a glimpse of the name of the meds in the bottle's label.

"Pre-Pre-Prenatal vi-vi-vitamins? !" He stammered, clearly alarmed.

Akihito was up on his feet the very next second. "Kirishima-san, please keep your voice down." He pleaded, fearing the other man would start screaming any moment now.

"OH..."

"Kirishima-san..."

"MY..."

"Kirishima-san, please!"

"GOD! You-You are preg-preg-preg-" He stammered some more, unable to finish the sentence as he looked from Akihito's face, to his stomach and back up again.

By this time even Akihito was panicking. "Will you please keep your voice down?" He requested, looking frightened towards the bathroom door; a reaction which Kirishima himself picked up on, but that ended up having the opposite effect on his nerves that Akihito had hoped for.

"Oh my god! ! ! Asami-sama doesn't know!" He said, deducting the obvious from Akihito's own aggravated look. "Oh this is bad. This is very bad!" He added, starting to pace back and forth along the room and seeming to ignore Akihito for a change.

Kirishima looked as if he'd just learned that the world was about to come to an end and there was nothing he could do about it.

"Wait!" He suddenly said, narrowing his eyes at the other man. "How far along are you?"

"…D-Don't know for sure... Two months maybe."

"WHAT? !" Now Kirishima looked as if someone had told him the entire galaxy was about to implode. "Do you mean to tell me you are two months in and Asami-sama is completely clueless about the whole thing? !"

"Will you put a sock in it already?" Akihito hissed, his eyes momentarily darting towards the bathroom door again. "He'll hear you if you continue speaking so loud."

The warning seemed to have a positive effect on Kirishima Kyo this time, who slowly leaned his back against the desk's chair, loosening the tie around his neck. His calmer demeanor was albeit only apparent, for he soon took hold of Akihito's shoulders, staring at him with a sense of fatal urgency.

'Akihito-kun, you have to tell him. You _must_. As soon as possible. Today even! He'll go mad when he finds out you've been keeping it a secret."

Akihito shook himself free from his grasp. "Do you think I don't know that?... Besides, I've only really found out about it today when I went to see the doctor. It's not like I've been keeping it a secret for the whole of the two months."

"But-but-"

"Geez, stop fretting already, will you? I've already decided I'm gonna tell Asami everything."

"Tell me what?" A familiar voice reached them from behind, causing both men to freeze on the spot.

They both turned around at the same time, to find Asami already inside the bedroom, fully dressed, the only remnant of his shower being the damp towel around his shoulders with which he was still drying out his hair.

"What is it that you wish to tell me, Akihito?" Asami asked again, albeit casually.

"Well,...I-I...That is..." The young man stuttered nervously, making his lover narrow his eyes at him.

Asami's stare went from the youngster to his assistant, who seemed to be in an equally altered state and he puffed, suddenly suspecting what was going on.

"Were the two of you discussing the plans for my birthday party? The one I clearly instructed _not_ to be held? Is that it?"

"Yes." "No."

Kirishima and Akihito replied so fast and in unison that none of them realized which one of them had replied what exactly.

Asami sighed quietly at the scene. "Well, whatever it is you're planning Kirishima, call it off. I'm not interested in spending another birthday in a noisy room filled with people I can't stand. I'd like a quiet birthday for a change."

"But sir..."

The stern look Asami gave his assistant then, silenced the latter. Not that the older man had anything to worry about this time around. Kirishima had already learned his lesson regarding throwing unwanted birthday parties for his boss the year before.

"What are you still sticking around here for anyway? This is your first vacation in years. You should be out enjoying it." Asami stated, watching as Kirishima approached him slowly; an odd expression contorting his assistant's face.

"Asami-sama..." The man said, stopping right in front of his boss. "My deepest felicitations." He added, bowing uncharacteristically low, which caused his boss to arch an eyebrow at him. More so, because when Kirishima straightened up again, one could see that his eyes were on the verge of watering up.

"What's the matter with you today?" Asami asked, watching as the other man tried to compose himself.

"N-Nothing, sir. I-I just never thought a day like this would ever come. If I could only express my happiness through words..." Kirishima confessed, tearing up a little bit again, which only managed to get Asami to become even more confused.

"I have birthdays every year and you're only going on vacations for a week. I hardly think there's a need for such a display of emotion."

The other man looked befuddled by his boss' words for a moment. "Birthday?... Vacations? What do you mean exactly, sir?" He repeated, seemingly not understanding the connection.

"..."

"Ah yes. Your birthday, Asami-sama! And my vacations! Of course. Of course." Kirishima laughed apologetically at his boss, who looked towards Akihito half expecting the younger man to look as baffled by the assistant's odd behavior as he no doubt did, but instead, Akihito just looked as though he was about to kill Kirishima on the spot; his lips pursed into a tight line and his right hand curled into a fist, as he eyed the assistant menacingly.

"Yes, I suppose I should leave now." Kirishima eventually added, turning his boss' attention back to him. "I have taken up more than enough of your time." He said; his eyes darting momentarily towards Akihito. "I have much to do. Much to do."

He suddenly halted, staring into space as a thought seemed to cross his mind. "Oh, a lot will be changing soon. I must plan out everything." He said out loud to no one in particular. And then as if he was talking to himself: "I must prepare everything so that the boss does not feel distressed at any moment. Oh, there are so many things that need to be done... And bought!"

By then though, Asami had had enough of his assistant's incoherent mumbles.

"Kirishima, what the bloody hell is wrong with yo-"

"I must go! Now! There's much to plan and buy!"

And with that Kirishima left his boss and Akihito alone in the room, but not before bowing reverently towards the latter, something he'd never done before in his life, which in turn only made Asami doubt his employee's mental health state even further.

The business man took a few steps forward, stopping right besides Akihito as they both stared out the window at Kirishima's retreating form.

Even from a distance they could tell that Kirishima was still talking lively to himself.

"Something tells me I should have given that guy a vacation months ago." Asami said, frowning at the scene, unaware that Akihito was turning bright red at the moment, because he knew perfectly well what had prompt Kirishima's strange behavior.

* * *

><p>Later that night, Akihito found himself sitting up in bed, pretending to read a comic book, while Asami paced leisurely to and from their hotel bedroom, completely engrossed in the business phone call he was having with the manager of one of his nightclubs.<p>

The older man was of course oblivious to the nervous wreck that was Akihito at the moment, just as he had been earlier on, while the two of them had enjoyed a nice intimate dinner at the hotel's VIP restaurant, or even after that, when Asami had taken Akihito for a nighttime stroll along the nearby shoreline.

Not that the young man had not tried to approach with him the touchy subject consuming his mind countless times though. Unfortunately, on every occasion Akihito thought to open his mouth to finally disclose to Asami that the latter was to become a father, courage left him in a heartbeat.

Which was why he'd just given up for the day! There was always tomorrow. Why couldn't Akihito give himself one final night of peace and quiet? After all, the youngster was convinced all hell would break loose as soon as he came clean with Asami about his 'condition'.

Akihito could at the very least delay his misery for a few extra hours.

Sighing defeated, the young man dropped his stare towards the comic book on his lap, aware he hadn't turned it to any new pages in over 10 minutes, and he had just about resolved to finally resume his readings, when his lover sat down in bed in front of him, yawning tiredly.

Asami had unbuttoned the top of his shirt due to the heat felt on the resort hotel, and his hair looked tousled, courtesy of the dry breeze coming from the nearby ocean, all in all giving him a casual and laidback appearance that made Akihito want to smile.

The photographer wondered if anyone else ever got to see this side of the ruthless business man.

When Asami yawned again though, Akihito frowned. "You seem tired." He stated, watching as the other man slowly turned to him, a grin appearing on his lips.

"So do you." Asami replied, tossing Akihito's comic book to the side, so he could lean more comfortably towards his lover and steal from him a heated kiss. "Should we try to get even more tired?" The older man suggested, whispering huskily against Akihito's ear, his hand tucking under the younger man's t-shirt, gently massaging his bare back.

A wave of panic quickly overtook Akihito, who involuntarily jerked away from Asami to the point his back ended up hitting the headboard behind him.

"What's the matter?" Asami asked, arching an eyebrow at him. It had been a long time since Akihito had been opposed to any of his advances.

"Huh...It's just that I...I..."

"…Are you still feeling sick?"

"Huh?...What?"

"Your stomach. Is it still bothering you?"

"My...My stomach?" Akihito repeated quietly, his hand instinctively coming up to it, clenching it above his t-shirt.

"What did the doctor tell you anyway?" Asami asked casually, brushing off Akihito's unusual reaction for the moment.

"Doctor? W-What doctor?" Akihito said, gulping hard.

Asami frowned again. "I asked Kirishima to schedule a medical appointment for you today... Don't tell me that airhead forgot about it?"

"Huh, no, no. He did schedule one and I managed to go."

Asami stopped midway of checking a text message on his iPhone. "And...?"

"And.. Huh, and... And I was right! It's just stomach flu. It will go away in a week or so. Nothing to worry about."

For a couple of seconds it looked as though Asami hadn't bought into his words, but eventually the older man's expression softened, a grin making yet another appearance on his lips.

"Well, just make sure you get well in less than a week then. I don't think I can go seven days without having sex." He joked, watching Akihito grumble under his breath. "And neither can you, for that matter." He chuckled, turning his attention back to his iPhone.

Silence took over the room, as Asami scrolled over his incoming messages. He was about to text Dracaena's manager, who should have called him back by then with the information Asami had requested of him while they'd been talking on the phone a few minutes before, when Akihito's voice distracted him.

"Hey Asami..."

"What?"

"About the doctor's appointment today..."

"What about it?" The older man asked, finding it odd how his lover seemed to be avoiding his stare all of a sudden. And was that a blush that Asami saw tinting the other man's cheeks?

"Well, a really funny thing happened actually..." Akihito chuckled nervously. "It turns out...I'm-"

Unfortunately for Akihito, Asami's iPhone decided to come to life at that exact moment; the incoming call ringtone demanding its owner's attention immediately.

"It's Dracaena's manager. I have to pick this up." Asami said looking at the cellphone's screen.

He got up on his feet, but not before he leaned over and kissed Akihito on the lips. "Hold whatever it was you were about to say. I'll be back in a couple of minutes." He said, before disappearing towards the living room area outside the bedroom.

* * *

><p>Asami's call ended up lasting over an hour and when he finally returned to the bedroom feeling lazy and drowsy, Akihito was already lying on his side in bed with his eyes closed.<p>

"Akihito?" Asami whispered nonetheless as he climbed in bed besides the other man, but the only answer he received was a sleepy grumble.

Chuckling under his breath, the business man laid down behind Akihito, drawing the young man's back against his chest with his strong arm.

It wasn't long before his breathing slowed and he felt himself being lulled to sleep by the sound of the waves crashing against the sand in the nearby beach.

A couple of minutes later, Akihito opened his eyes. He had been faking sleep and had heard Asami calling his name earlier on quite clearly. He really didn't know why he'd pretended to be already sleeping. Perhaps he'd been afraid that Asami would tempt him with his advances like earlier on, and that this time around he might not have the strength to resist him.

He sighed tiredly, feeling the weight of Asami's arm loosely wrapped over his torso.

If asked later on, Akihito didn't know what had prompt his action, but he found his hand searching for Asami's under the covers and when he found it, the young man gently guided it towards his lower belly, placing Asami's palm flat against it; his own hand above the other man's.

The touch of Asami's hand against his skin felt nice and safe, and Akihito soon fell asleep wondering if this was one of the last times he'd feel that way.

Little did he know though, that the moment he pressed Asami's palm against his belly, the older man just so happened to open his eyes...

* * *

><p><strong>(to be continued...)<strong>

**A/N: Sorry for the delay in getting this chapter out, and hurray! another cliffhanger *runs away to save her life* ;) Until the next chapter!**


	4. PART IV

**Decisions**

**PART IV**

* * *

><p>Akihito frowned.<p>

He was having _that_ feeling again. That nagging, annoying hunch at the back of his mind that was telling him he was being watched...again.

Sure enough, the second the young man lifted his eyes from the comic book he was reading, he felt the force of Asami's intense stare head on... Similarly to what had already been happening all throughout breakfast that morning. And truth be told, it was driving Akihito nuts.

"What? !" He asked, not even bothering to enter into a stare contest with the older man this time, who, if someone were to ask the youngster, had been acting unusually odd since waking up.

Asami watched his lover grimace as the latter sniffed a piece of toast before quickly shoving it aside and picking up his coffee mug instead.

"You never did end up finishing telling me yesterday what it was that happened at the doctor's office..." Asami said cautiously, even though that was enough to make the other man cough up a bit of his coffee.

"Huh...D-Didn't I?"

Akihito's nervous laughter made Asami narrow his eyes at him in suspicion.

"No. You did not." He said, leaning over the breakfast table ever so slightly. "At least you didn't seem to tell me everything you wanted to."

Akihito shook his head, dismissing the comment. "I'm pretty sure I said everything. You're just imagining things." He quickly added, directing his stare back to the comic book.

Had Akihito been talking to another person, said individual might have been convinced by his words. Unfortunately for him, his listener was none other than ruthless business man Asami Ryuuichi, who could smell lies a mile away, and who did not enjoy one bit being their recipient.

"Akihito..." There was a slight edge to Asami's voice that sent goosebumps down Akihito's spine. He could feel himself about to break into a cold sweat.

"I told you already. It's just stomach flu." Akihito said quietly without lifting his eyes from the book, …and hating himself for his cowardice.

A few seconds passed in silence (although they seemed like minutes to Akihito) at the end of which the young man heard Asami sighing tiredly.

More shocking though, was the feel of Asami's thumb gently stroking the side of his cheek, as the older man's palm forced the youngster's face upwards to face him.

"You'd tell me if something was wrong with you, right kid?"

The older man's tone was not harsh or demanding, sounding instead just genuinely concerned. The type of tone Asami Ryuuichi only disclosed on rare occasions, which made Akihito feel even more like a crook.

His mouth opened a little, even if he did not have a clue of what it was he was about to say, but as he pulled air into his lungs, the doorbell rang and a couple of energetic voices spoke up from outside the villa's main door, announcing room service had arrived.

Asami went to open the door, leaving Akihito to bang his head on top of the table. The young man had a feeling he was going to have a really long day ahead of him.

* * *

><p>Several hours later, Akihito could be found lying down by the resort's main pool, trying his best to enjoy the sunlight shining down on him.<p>

Needless to mention, his clever plan to come clean with Asami regarding his pregnancy was still failing miserably so far. And so, for that matter, was his alternative emergency plan: that of avoiding Asami's presence altogether.

Despite Akihito's many efforts to spend time away from the other man since their awkward breakfast that morning, the latter had managed to keep him close by the entire day, which made the youngster suspect that Asami already had a feeling something was wrong with him. Even though the photographer was convinced that 'pregnancy' was the last thing on the business man's mind.

Turning to his side on the comfortable pool bed, Akihito slowly opened his eyes taking in the sight of the man lying next to him.

Asami was on his back, his eyes closed; face muscles perfectly relaxed, as he seemed to be enjoying the sunlight a lot more than Akihito was at the moment.

The light ocean breeze kept tossing his bangs over his eyes, but the fact didn't seem to bother the older man, who looked very close to falling asleep.

As if by instinct, Akihito's stare drifted downwards towards Asami's chest, watching it rise and fall slowly, in rhythm with his lover's breathing.

The business man was dressed quite casually on the occasion. Decked in a pair of loose trousers and a white unbuttoned shirt, it was difficult to imagine that the same man spent most of his time in designer suits, although Akihito had to admit, Asami's casual appearance fitted him just as nicely.

Plus, the few days they had spent at the resort had already given the older man a nice tan, helping to define even further the toned lines of his pectorals and abs.

The young man felt his mouth dry up at the sight of Asami's torso. The man really had a nice body, and whether it was due to the heath felt that day, or to the fact that pregnancy was messing with his hormones, Akihito was annoyingly finding himself getting easily flustered just by being near Asami.

"Shoot! Get a hold of yourself, Takaba. You're acting like a girl." He thought to himself.

Unfortunately for him, the other man seemed to have picked up on his aggravated look.

The youngster heard a low, amused chuckle just before the other man turned on his side, peeking at him through half opened eyelids. "What's up with that look, Takaba?" A hint of amusement was also present in Asami's voice. "Do you want to ditch the pool and go back to our room?" Asami added suggestively, as he leaned forward, intent on stealing a kiss from Akihito.

He would have succeeded in his endeavor too, were it not for the fact that the youngster quickly shuffled away from him, nearly falling off the pool bed in the process.

"Are you mental, old man?" Akihito hissed, tuning crimson. "Can't you see all the people around here?"

Asami shrugged, not the least bit perturbed by the observation. "So what?" He interjected. "I own half of this resort. Do you think anyone around here would dare call me out on anything?"

Akihito sat up on the mattress, scratching the back of his neck, clearly embarrassed nonetheless. "It's not that…" He said in a low voice. It was just that he was still getting use to the whole PDA thing with Asami. It had not been that long since the business man had gone public with their relationship after all…

"Here, have your drink." Asami said, trying to lighten his mood, as he passed Akihito the drinks that the photographer had gone to fetch from the nearby bar lounge area earlier on.

Asami picked his martini glass, eyeing Akihito curiously, as the latter made a funny face while taking a sip from his drink.

"What are you having anyway?" He asked.

"…Orange juice."

Asami watched Akihito trying not to make another face as he sipped from his drink one more time.

"And since when do you drink orange juice?"

"_Since I found out you got me knocked up and thus I can't drink alcohol anymore, jerk!_" The photographer thought. What he instead said out loud though was: "I thought I'd drink something healthy for a change."

His answer again did very poorly in satisfying the other man.

"Takaba, you've been acting awfully weird over the past couple of days." Asami said, grabbing the youngster's chin with his free hand and coaching it upwards so that the latter was forced to look him in the eyes again. "…Are you sure everything's ok?"

"Everything's fine. I told you already! Besides, you are seriously starting to become really annoying with this talk. Stop it, will you?"

Asami could not help but grin at Akihito's defensive tone. The kid sure knew how to put up a fight when he wanted to.

"Well, you know how to stop me from talking, right?"

Akihito narrowed his eyes at him in suspicion nonetheless. "How?" He asked, watching Asami's grin widen slowly.

"You just need to keep my mouth busy." The older man answered, pulling Akihito down towards him for a kiss that for once the photographer was not able to move away from.

"Hey mister!" An energetic voice reached them, interrupting the tender moment before it began.

Asami was cursing under his breath even before the owner of the voice, the young boy that had pestered him the day before, had a chance to round the pool bed and come into view of its occupants.

"I'm so glad you are still here mister!" The kid said, genuinely happy to see Asami again.

"Why, you little…" The business man grunted in a low voice, as Akihito tried very hard to control his laughter beside him.

"Do you want to play football with me, do you?" The boy asked Asami eagerly, showing him the brand new football he carried under his arm. "I just got it as a gift from my mommy. It's pretty neat, isn't it?"

"No kid. I don't want to play football with you."

"Oh, and what about if we play-"

"I'm a grown-up, kid. I don't _play_!"

"Oh… I see." The boy said, clearly disappointed. "…It's just that my mommy is busy right now and I don't have anyone else to play with." He added, staring sadly at his football.

"I'll play with you, if you'd like." Akihito suddenly offered, seeing the boy's face light up almost as fast as Asami's darkened.

"Oh, will you? Really? !" The infant asked, jumping up and down with excitement.

"Sure! Hey, what is your name by the way?"

"I'm Daisuke. But everyone calls me Dai." The boy said, bowing politely.

"Nice to meet you then, Dai-kun. I'm Akihito."

"Nice to meet you too Akihito-kun." Little Dai answered lively, as Akihito joined him. The boy's stare went from the young man to Asami, who was propping his back up on the pool bed's pillows, and after a moment of hesitation he finally asked, pointing towards the older man: "And what's your daddy's name, Akihito-kun?"

As soon as the words left his mouth, Asami chocked on his drink. "I thought I told you I am _not_ his fath-"

"Come along now, Dai-kun." Akihito quickly interjected, leading the boy away. It was clear he was about to burst out laughing again. "We don't want the old man to get angry. He's pretty grumpy today."

Asami watched the duo walk away from him, still grunting under his breath. "The freaking nerve on that brat!" He said, lighting up a new cigarette against his lips.

Sure, the boy was still very young, but couldn't he at least see that Akihito was far too old to be his son? As if Asami would even have a child in the first place!

"The nerve on kids these days!" He grumbled some more, watching as Akihito started showing to the boy some tricks with the football on the lawn situated on the other side of the pool area.

Dai-kun seemed to be delighted with his new friend, that was for sure!

As he watched the two together, Asami couldn't help but feel amazed at Akihito's natural ease around children, which given the fact that the photographer had been an only child, was quite a feat indeed!

Asami himself had been an only child, and as a result was a complete disaster when it came to entertaining kids. He was actually very much surprised and baffled that the Dai boy had seemed to strike a fancy with him, given that Asami's mere intimidating presence seemed to normally suffice to make any kid start crying in a matter of seconds.

Asami let himself continue to stare quietly at Akihito and Dai for a while, as he smoked his cigarette.

"He'd make a good father…" He thought at some point, only to mentally want to kick himself.

What the hell had brought that thought on, all of a sudden? Akihito? A dad? !... And who was he supposed to have the child with? What a preposterous idea! Asami felt like laughing at his own idiocy. As if such a thing could ever happen!

Although…

Now that the subject had crossed his mind… Did Akihito even want kids of his own?

The thought alone made Asami fidget uncomfortably. They surely had never approached the subject between them after all. But truth be told, being both men, it was not like kids were something they needed to consciously worry themselves about. Male pregnancies were very rare after all. And adoption was out of the question for Asami. He was sure as hell not putting up with someone else's kids. He doubted he'd have any patience to put up with a kid his own blood..

No, the idea was ridiculous.

But then again,… didn't Akihito start that odd conversation with him the day before about children? What if the young man had approached the subject with Asami merely to test the waters and see to which degree the business man would be receptive to the idea of starting a family of their own?

Asami looked towards Akihito in the distance as a gloomy cloud crossed his mind. Surely, _that_ had not been the reason for the odd conversation?

Akihito was far too young to be thinking of kids of his own…right?

After a few more seconds spent in doubt Asami decided to attribute his own odd musings to too much sunlight. The heath was no doubt starting to mess with his mind.

Besides, he had a far more concrete case at hand to trouble himself with. He thought, as his eyes darted towards his younger lover once again. The case at hand being Akihito's health, of course.

Asami was by now convinced that Akihito was hiding some medical condition from him, as minor as it might be, and had by now narrowed the young man's reticence in disclosing said condition to two possible reasons:

Number 1 – said problem was far too embarrassing for Akihito to wish to say it out loud;

Number 2 – said problem would piss off Asami out of his wits.

The business man couldn't really come up with any alternative reasons, but be the issue in question related to reason number 1, or 2, or to a combination of both, Asami still couldn't understand what it was that was really keeping Akihito from coming out and just saying it.

The two of them had been together for years, and truth be told, their relationship was open and uninhibited enough for any of them to really feel embarrassed about anything. Besides, it was not like Akihito was ever consciously afraid of pissing off Asami in the first place. He'd done so a million times in the past for various reasons, and save for the occasional well applied punishment, he had had no reasons to complain or avoid his lover's wrath.

Asami frowned.

Maybe he should track down the doctor that had been responsible for Akihito's medical appointment the day before. Maybe the man or woman could be coerced to disclose some more details on his onetime patient. Such bad timing for Kirishima to be on holidays! His assistant would no doubt be all over the case as soon as Asami instructed him to, and would be able to gather the necessary information in less than a couple of hours.

"Oh well. Guess I'll just have to wait until he spills the truth himself." Asami thought to himself, taking a long drag from his cigarette while he continued to watch Akihito entertain Dai in the distance.

He was so distracted by the scene that he didn't notice the hotel staff employer approaching the pool bed.

It was only when the man spoke up announcing his presence that Asami turned his head to face him, recognizing the employee from the day before.

"My apologies for disturbing you, Asami-sama." The man said with a polite bow.

Come to think of it, the employee in question seemed to show up out of nowhere whenever he sensed his VIP guest was in need of something.

"_He was probably appointed by the resort's manager to follow me around_." Asami thought. He was used to this sort of VIP treatment at his own establishments after all. It made sense that the manager wanted to keep his boss happy.

"Yes. Go ahead." Asami eventually said, not paying much attention to the man.

"I was informed by the bartender that your…your…" The man seemed to struggle to find the right word. "your…_guest_" he finally said, discreetly pointing towards Akihito. "forgot his jacket on a bar stool after ordering your drinks and meal. I took the liberty of bringing it to you, along with your food order." He added, laying down a tray of appetizers on top of the mattress, as well as Akihito's green army jacket.

"Thanks for that." Asami said, quickly dismissing the employee and pulling the tray towards him as soon as the man had returned towards the bar area.

Something unexpected happened then though.

The tray of food bumped into the jacket, causing it to slide down the edge of the mattress towards the floor, but besides the expected rustle of fabric, something else was heard as the green jacket hit the floor.

It was as if a box filled with trinkets had fallen along with it, and for a second Asami wondered whether or not he had inadvertently knocked something off of the tray of food.

He leaned his torso over the edge of the mattress, but he only found Asami's jacket lying in the wooden floorboards.

When he pulled it up though, intent on placing it on top of bed again, a plastic bottle rolled out of it, bumping on the floor with the same noisy thud he'd just heard seconds before.

"What on earth…?" Asami whispered, picking up the bottle with his hand.

He brought it up turning it in his hands, but unlike his assistant the day before, it took his brain a lot longer to register what it was he was looking at.

The shocking realization of what was in fact in his hands coincided with Dai-kun's happy cheer in the distance. The young boy had just managed to score a goal between the improvised lines Akihito had made up with a couple of vases from the hotel's garden.

The business man turned his head slowly towards the scene, but he didn't see the boy at all. He wasn't seeing anything apart from Akihito, who sensing he was being watched, looked towards Asami and waved at him, oblivious to the fact that his secret was already out.

He didn't receive a wave back though.

Because for the first time in his life, the great Asami Ryuuichi felt speechless and paralyzed.

**(to be continued…)**


	5. PART V

**Decisions**

**PART V**

* * *

><p>The sun was already starting to set in the distant horizon when Akihito returned to the pool bed, with young Dai happily trotting along beside him.<p>

Both of them looked pretty spent, courtesy of the physical exercise they had put themselves through.

"Hey mister, we had so much fun!" The boy announced as soon as Asami was in hearing range. "Did you count how many goals I scored?"

Asami took a long drag from his cigarette while shaking his head. As if he had been in any state of mind to keep track of what the brat had been up to!

"Over 20, mister. 20!"

"You're really good at it too, Dai-kun." Akihito said, sitting down on the mattress, clearly exhausted. "You should ask your parents to sign you up for football practice."

The boy's face beamed even further, if possible. "You think?"

"Sure. You've got real talent."

"Ah, thank you so much, Aki-kun…Say, you haven't forgotten about our promise, have you?"

"Of course not. We'll meet here tomorrow afternoon again, and I'll teach you some more tricks with the football."

The boy jumped up and down with excitement. "Yes! See you tomorrow then Aki-kun!" And then turning towards Asami and bowing politely: "See you tomorrow too, Ryuuichi-san." He added, just before he ran towards his mother who was lying down on a lounge chair not too far away.

Asami stared at Akihito, raising an eyebrow at him.

"He kept asking me what your name was…" Akihito confessed, staring ahead towards Dai. "He's a really nice kid. But he sure has a lot of energy!" He added, letting himself fall back on the pool bed's pillows.

It was only when he turned sideways to look at Asami that he noticed the odd expression on the older man's face.

"What's the matter?"

When Asami didn't answer, Akihito frowned.

"You're not jealous of the kid, are you?" He asked, an amused smile appearing on his lips. He knew his lover well enough, after all.

Something then caught his attention though, diverting his stare momentarily to the ashtray that Asami had placed next to him on the mattress.

"Wow! Did you smoke all of these cigarettes while I was away? !"

Distracted for a second himself, Asami looked towards the ashtray only to become as surprised as his younger lover. There were at least a dozen cigarette butts discarded on it. Asami had been chain smoking like a maniac and had not even realized it.

"…Is everything ok?" Akihito asked hesitantly.

"Hm?... Yes. Why do you ask?"

"Huh…Nothing. You just looked a bit spaced-out for a moment. Nevermind."

"We should get going." Asami said then, diverting the course of the conversation. "The wind's starting to pick up. It will get cold soon. Besides, I need to make a couple of phone calls back at the villa."

He was about to get up from the mattress when Akihito noticed his jacket, neatly laid out next to the untouched food tray.

It took the latter a couple of seconds to come up with an explanation for its presence there. He had just remembered that he had forgotten it back at the bar area. It was therefore likely that some staff member had found it in the meantime and delivered it to Asami.

"Hey, who-?"

Akihito froze, suddenly recalling what was inside the inner pocket of his jacket at the moment.

Since when exactly had the jacket been brought to Asami that afternoon? It could not have been more than an hour and a half ago…But more importantly, had Asami by any chance noticed its contents?

Come to think of it, was the vitamins' bottle still inside its pocket? Maybe it had fallen to the floor?...

What if someone had picked it up and given it directly to Asami?

Akihito looked sideways towards the older man, who was already standing up, but he seemed to be his normal self. Certainly not looking anything like what Akihito could imagine Asami would look like if he were to already know that his lover was taking pre-natal vitamins.

Gulping down hard, the young man stretched an arm towards the jacket, only realizing at that moment how much he was actually shaking.

He quickly pulled it towards him, soon noticing it felt a lot lighter than it should feel.

Panicking, the photographer searched the jacket's pockets with his hands, but they came out empty.

Akihito could already feel his heart start beating a lot faster than normal. Had he left the bottle at the villa? Maybe he only _thought_ he'd put it inside the jacket for safe keeping?

"Looking for something?" Asami asked curiously, making Akihito jump up in alarm.

"Huh no, nothing." The photographer quickly said. "Just thought I'd lost something." He laughed nervously putting on the jacket and standing up next to Asami.

"It sure is getting pretty chilly out here." He added, rubbing his arms with his hands.

For a brief moment it looked as though Asami was going to say something, but when Akihito was about to ask him what was the matter, the older turned his back on the youngster and started upwards in the direction of their villa.

The short trip to their destination was a quiet one…an unusually quiet one. In different circumstances, Akihito would surely have picked up on the strange vibe his lover was giving off, but concerned as he was in finding the pre-natal vitamins' bottle, Asami's unusual silenced managed to escape his notice.

As soon as they reached the villa's compound, and Asami retreated to the office to make a couple of business calls, Akihito darted towards the bedroom area practically turning the place upside down looking for the elusive meds.

He looked inside drawers, inside the closet, under the bed, under the mattress, behind furniture, but the vitamin bottle was nowhere to be seen.

He had already spent over ten minutes searching the place minutely and nothing.

"Where the bloody hell is that thing?" He said in a low voice.

The unexpected answer he received in return made his blood freeze inside his veins.

"Is this what you are looking for?" Asami's voice reached him from behind.

Akihito turned round slowly, feeling as though his heartbeats were drumming inside his ears.

…He really didn't know what kept him from screaming then, or fainting, or doing _something_ that would at least convey externally how he felt inside as he saw the older man slowly placing down the missing medicine bottle on top of the dresser next to him.

Akihito was speechless. For a second he tempted with the hope that Asami might not had realized what the pills actually were, but one good look at the business man's face was enough to demolish the young man's silly fantasy.

There was something else though. Something behind Asami's apparent calm façade that Akihito couldn't decipher.

He didn't know how long he spent frozen on the ground, his panic making it impossible for him to move, only allowing his eyes free range to wander about. Not that Akihito had the guts to turn his gaze away from Asami at the time...

The older man ended up being the one who spoke first.

"…Are you pregnant?"

Odd. Asami seemed to genuinely be unsure of what the answer was. Maybe he thought the pre-natal vitamins were part of a silly joke Akihito was planning to play on him.

Too bad then. He was about to receive a heavy dose of reality.

The photographer didn't answer him through words though, choosing instead to slowly nod his head. It was not like he could speak at the moment even if he wanted to anyway.

The effect the revelation caused in the older man would have been the same had it been given through words… Asami leaned his back against the dresser, pulling a hand through his hair. He looked as though someone had just pulled the rug under his feet, which considering his normal cool and unaffected character, was very unusual indeed.

"Shit!" He mumbled, but whether the curse was meant only for him, or was instead fully directed at the situation at hand, Akihito couldn't tell.

"I-I'm sorry." The younger man heard himself say out loud, even though the words sounded so low and broken he barely recognized his own voice.

Asami took a long breath, seeming to want to give himself time to collect his thoughts. When he looked back at Akihito, it was noticeable he had regained his trademark calculating, detached look; the same he always had on when he was dealing with some business transaction - a change in demeanor that did not help his young lover feel any bit more comfortable about the situation…

"How far along are you?"

"…"

"Akihito."

"Huh…A... A few weeks."

"What's 'a few weeks'?"

"I-I don't know, ok? I-I haven't done the proper tests to know that. I only found out about the pregnancy yesterday."

Asami's eyes widened in surprise. For some reason, hearing Akihito say the word himself, had suddenly made the situation feel even more real.

The former nodded quietly, reaching for his trusty cigarette pack. "So yesterday at the doctor's office…" He didn't finish the sentence. He didn't need to, really. The photographer understood his unsaid question perfectly.

"Yes…"

"And the queasiness and the whole throwing up business lately…"

"Yeah…" Akihito said awkwardly, massaging the back of his neck. "…They're all pregnancy symptoms I suppose."

Silence fell between them while the business man digested the information.

"Look, Asami, I-"

"Just out of curiosity, until when were you planning to hide this from me?" Asami asked suddenly; his voice not exactly sharp, but very close to it. "Were you planning to abort without me knowing about it, is that it? Keep the whole thing under wraps?"

"I wouldn't be taking the damn vitamins if that was my plan, would I? !"

The direct observation seemed to silence the older man for the moment.

Akihito averted his eyes from him, regaining back some of his strength. "…I thought about it." He confessed nonetheless. "When I first heard the news. But…I don't think…I know I wouldn't be able to go through with it." He added in such a low voice, he doubted his words registered with the other man.

They did though, and soon Akihito heard Asami sigh. The business man sounded tired - not exactly the poster child for parental happiness that the young man had dared to dream about in his most optimistic moments.

"…There are implications to this case, Akihito. Not to mention, severe complications. I can't exactly put a child in the world and expect my life to remain the same."

_His_ _life_? Was _that_ what Asami was worried about? Somehow the older man's words managed to piss off the youngster instantly.

When Akihito turned to look at him again, fire was pouring out of his eyes.

"I don't see why it would affect _your_ life in any way. It's not like I'm asking you to raise the kid."

Asami looked as though he'd just been slapped across the face. "…What is _that_ supposed to mean?" He asked, starting to become defensive by instinct.

The photographer shrugged. "Exactly what it means. I'm capable of doing it on my own." He said confidently, even though by the looks Asami was giving him, he might as well have said the words in a foreign language.

"On your own?" The business man repeated, not understanding the implication of the comment at first.

"Y-Yeah…"

A sudden menacing look fell upon Asami's eyes, as he slowly started decreasing the distance separating them.

It was at times like this that the youngster felt conscious of how much the other man actually towered over him.

He moved backwards on instinct, his back soon bumping softly against one of the bedroom walls.

Asami was standing in front of Akihito in no time, one of the former's hands coming up slowly so that his palm pressed against the wall, trapping the younger man on one side.

"Are you by any chance suggesting that I'm to let you go?"

Oh man, Asami really knew how to drive Akihito mental when he wanted to.

"What if I am?" The young man said, with a lot more conviction than he actually felt.

The shadow of the grin that graced Asami's lips at the time could only mean the man wasn't buying into his bluff at all.

Asami lowered his face towards Akihito, causing the younger man to press his back even further into the wall.

"Am I to take that as a threat?" Asami asked, albeit calmly. "What are you planning exactly? To force me to choose between you and a kid?"

Akihito called out to all of his strength, hoping his voice wouldn't falter as he spoke next.

"Well, if you don't want him, you don't want me."

If anything, his apparent resolve seemed to momentarily throw Asami off of his game.

Hiding the surprise brought upon by such determined words, Asami quickly straightened himself up, turning his back on the younger man as he lighted a cigarette, clearly buying some time, if not to remedy the situation for good, then at least to provide him some moments to think.

"You have no idea the position you are putting me in." He said, as he released the first cloud of smoke to the air.

His comment only served to infuriate Akihito even more.

"The position _I'm_ putting you in? ! I didn't make this kid alone, you know?"

Asami huffed. "That's beside the point." And then after a few tense moments of silence had passed: "The world I live in is no place for children, Akihito."

"Which is why I told you I can raise him on my ow-"

"I'm not giving you up, damn it! !" Asami spoke so loud, Akihito was certain anyone walking past the villa at that moment would have certainly heard every word.

"…You don't have much choice then." The young man said, feeling his eyes start watering up. "You can either have both of us." He observed, watching Asami's eyes widening as a result, already knowing what was to come next. "…Or you can have none." He finished, slowly making his way outside the bedroom, leaving Asami behind.

Akihito was already walking down the gravel path outside the villa that lead to the beach, when he heard a loud noise behind him coming from the direction of the bedroom.

From the commotion, it seemed as though Asami had just punched a hole with his fist through one of its wooden walls.

Akihito didn't stop to check if his hunch was right though, but not because he didn't care whether or not Asami had hurt himself.

…He just couldn't bear to have the other man see his tears. And the truth was that he'd started crying the second he'd step out of the bedroom.

(to be continued…)

* * *

><p>AN: Oh Asami, you big jerk! Many thanks for your reviews and interest in the story :) Aki's not running away btw, no worries. He's just stepping out from the scene until stubborn headed Asami cools down and realizes he's acting like a fool ;) Until the next chapter!


	6. PART VI

**Decisions**

**PART VI**

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><p>Asami pulled his fist back, cursing against his own stupidity.<p>

A dent was now decorating the wooden wall in front of him, courtesy of his sudden angered outburst.

Looking down at his hand, Asami tried not to hiss in pain. His knuckles were bloodied and a small wood splinter was sticking out from his skin where his fingers had come into contact with the wall panels.

He pulled out the offending splinter with his good hand, watching as a trickle of blood instantly flowed through the resulting wound.

"Shit." He cursed out loud, realizing he was still angry... With what or whom though, he couldn't quite tell.

Making his way towards the sink in the nearby master bathroom, Asami let the cold water clean the cut, while his eyes caught sight of his reflection in the mirror.

The look he saw on his face made him think he was staring at a stranger for a moment. It was a look he had not seen himself bore in many years. One that he thought he had lost the capability of expressing altogether.

He looked worried.

Yet not for himself. That much was certain.

In reality Asami looked and _felt_ worried for Akihito's sake.

Turning the tap off, the yakuza leaned against the sink with both hands. He suddenly felt lightheaded, as if he was dreaming instead of actually being fully awake.

A _kid_? ! _His_ kid? _He_, Asami Ryuuichi, was going to become a _father_? ! How the hell did he let that happen to himself?...Or to Akihito, for that matter?

...Well, it wasn't so much the _how_ that was pissing Asami off, but more like the _why_.

He should have been more careful.

In retrospect, Asami now realized how careless he had been in his relationship with Akihito. He didn't recall ever using any sort of protection during the countless times he'd been intimate with the younger man, but in all fairness, it was not like male pregnancy was an everyday occurrence. Such a remote possibility had never really crossed his or his lover's minds.

And yet Akihito was now pregnant...With _his_ child.

The image of the younger man's face from earlier on suddenly popped into Asami's mind in a quick flashback. The hurt he recalled seeing in the photographer's eyes made the muscles in his chest contract painfully.

"I shouldn't have lashed out like that." Asami thought to himself, although he would not dare to admit it out loud.

Akihito was probably feeling as surprised and confused as he was about the whole pregnancy business. Thinking back at the last few hours, Asami now understood that the youngster had tried to come clean with him on at least a couple of different occasions, but no doubt fearing the older man's reaction to the news, the photographer had restrained himself from speaking the truth.

...And the awful fact was that Asami had probably ended up acting as badly as Akihito had feared. Perhaps even worse.

In truth, the older man had behaved like an asshole about the whole situation, causing the young man to no doubt feel sorrowfully rejected, and making him wander off the villa feeling lost and alone...and that was the absolute last thing the yakuza wished for.

He took a long breath, collecting his thoughts.

When he looked back at his reflection in the mirror, he was able to recognize Asami Ryuuichi's trademark determined stare looking back at him.

He had made up his mind by then. He was going out in search of Akihito and the two of them were going to have a long, frank conversation with each other.

The business man hadn't forgotten about Akihito's ultimatum, no doubt uttered in a moment of despair, and for a second his earlier apprehension about the situation returned.

Asami would be lying if he were to say he was 100% ok with the news that he was going to become a father. He had always avoided kids like one would avoid the plague, but one thing he was absolutely certain.

Nothing and no one, alive or yet to be born, was going to take Akihito away from him.

Decision taken, Asami soon walked towards the front door of the villa, intent on tracing Akihito's steps outside.

He stopped short of the door though, as an unexpected sound of heavy footsteps suddenly reached his ears coming from behind.

Asami made a move to turn round, but he never actually got a chance to see the man who knocked him down.

The last thing he recalled was feeling as though a bag full of needles had been thrust against the side of his head, causing the whole world to instantly become dark.

* * *

><p>The ocean reflected the moonlight as if a mirror laid on its surface. Every now and then flashes of neon greens and blues would cut through the silver luminescence of the water, giving the already dream-like scenery an ethereal glow.<p>

Nature's spectacle that evening was however lost on its only viewer, who sat on the deserted beach, close to the water line, completely oblivious to the beauty surrounding him.

Takaba Akihito had other things to occupy his mind with, after all...

The young man buried his feet further into the sand trying to protect them from the cold. Even though it was already May, temperatures in Okinawa still dropped considerably low after dark, making the photographer regret not having put on a warmer jacket before leaving the villa; although in fairness, and considering the circumstances surrounding his departure from the place, weather conscious clothing had been the last thing on his mind at the time!

As Akihito recalled Asami's earlier cold behavior towards him, he couldn't help but feel his eyes start to sting again.

It was not like the Akihito had truly expected the other man to act exhilarated regarding the news of his pregnancy, but the business-like detachment with which Asami had treated him, had been a hard and heavy blow.

Biting his lower lip in an attempt to fight back a treacherous tear, Akihito picked up a pebble laying on the sand, and threw it in the direction of the shallow waves.

"Stupid Asami..." He mumbled, watching the pebble disappear amongst the silver water.

Such words escaped Akihito's lips, yet he soon found himself looking sideways towards the resort in the distance, hoping he'd spot his lover walking towards him along the shore line... intent on redeeming himself of his earlier behavior, and somehow fixing things between them.

No such luck though...

Sighing tiredly, Akihito laid back on the sand, using his palms as a cushion for his head. He let his eyes roam the starry sky above, eventually fixing them on the full moon shining down on him. The moon sure was bright that night!

After a couple of minutes in absolute silence, and despite his better judgment, Akihito found his head turning again towards the bright lights oozing off from the resort's grounds.

He couldn't quite make out all of the noises and clatter carried to him by the wind from the restaurant and bar areas, but it was at least obvious, when the occasional laughter was loud enough to reach even Akihito's ears, that at least someone at the resort was managing to enjoy themselves that evening.

Knowing he shouldn't, Akihito let his stare roam further ahead in the direction of the secluded, posh villas that constituted a separate part of the resort; an area much more quiet than the one surrounding the main resort buildings, and that offered its VIP guests a more relaxing stay.

Over a dozen villas could be roughly seen from where Akihito lay on the beach, each equipped with its own zen garden, open-air Jacuzzi tub and infinity pool, along with a dedicated team of staff members on call 24hours to cater to their clients' whims and commands.

That place was paradise on Earth, and among those dozen or so small havens, was the one he and Asami had been calling 'home' for almost a week now.

Akihito sighed again. He really did not want to be the one to give in this time. He really did not want to be the one to crawl back to the villa and have to ask Asami to listen to him again.

Deep down the young man knew that by then his lover had at the very least recovered from his initial shock regarding the pregnancy news, and that yakuza had probably regained back his cool and collected composure. The older man would no doubt make it up to the youngster for having acted as coldly as he had earlier on, and would even most likely apologize to Akihito for it...at least in his own way.

That is, of course, if Asami could manage for once in his life to swallow his stubbornness.

Fixing his eyes on the dark spot he judged their villa was located at, Akihito dropped his hand to his still flat belly, massaging it gently.

"Just please don't turn out to be as stubborn as that guy, ok?" Akihito said quiet, a hint of a smile briefly appearing on his lips.

He seriously doubted the world could handle two people with Asami's temperament at the same time, after all…

It was either his tiredness or the lulling sounds coming from the ocean waves, or both, that caused Akihito to fall asleep soon after. He initially tried to fight off the drowsiness he was feeling, wanting to be fully awake when Asami came looking for him, but dreamland soon got a good hold over Akihito.

He slept deeply for more than an hour, despite the dropping temperatures, and more surprisingly, despite the first loud explosion that spread havoc all throughout the resort.

By the second explosion and subsequent scream and panic fest, Akihito stirred in his sleep, but curiously enough, only the sound of the fire engines arriving at the scene awhile later managed to alert his consciousness.

At first the young man kept his eyes closed. Forgetful of his surroundings for the time being, he fancied himself back at his villa for a moment, thinking he had somehow fallen asleep with the TV on, hence the ruckus.

When the third and biggest explosion so far managed to rock the ground he was laying on though, Akihito finally sat up on the sand fully awake and alert.

"What?...When?" He mumbled confused, taking in his surroundings.

...It was the bright glare he caught from the corner of his eye that grabbed his attention. He slowly turned his head towards it, feeling as if all air had been sucked out of his lungs.

A large smoke column was rising in the air and covering most of the star filled sky in the distance. The only reason you could tell it was smoke though, was because the column was being illuminated by a massive fire beneath it.

The resort was on fire! But not just any location on the resort. The fire was coming straight from the villas' compound!

Akihito got up on his feet, feeling his legs start to tremble. He could see from where he was standing three fire engines pointing their hoses towards the center of the burning inferno, but the firemen seemed to be fighting a losing battle. The flames were just far too high in the air to be subdued by merely water at this point.

Just as Akihito took a step forward, another strong explosion rocked the floor, projecting a series of debris directly towards the smallest of the engines, which almost caused it to topple over.

There were now at least 5 villas being consumed by the flames, and although a general idea of the epicenter of the fire could be retrieved by looking at the scene, Akihito did not give its mind time to form a conjecture on the subject.

He ran as he had never run before towards the villas' area, but found his path cut off by the recent arrival of the police force, who had established a security line as far back as the main pool of the resort.

The blazing inferno was even more impressive at a shorter distance, and it was clear as soon as Akihito arrived at the poolside, that many curious guests staying at the main hotel building had come down to view the spectacle from a safe distance.

Everywhere he looked Akihito saw people, some dressed in day clothes, others already clad in their pajamas; some whose faces were covered in make-up, others in soot.

He quickly searched the crowd looking for a familiar face, but he couldn't see Asami anywhere.

When he instead saw a young couple descend the gravel pathway that led from the villas' area, escorted by a fireman and a police officer, his heart sank. The woman was covered in cuts and scratches and the man's shirt was ripped and blood stained at shoulder level, as if the two of them had been projected against a glass wall by one of the explosions.

Akihito did not stop to think twice. He made his way upwards towards the gravel pathway leading up to the fire, but he didn't manage to go far. A bulky policeman appeared before him, blocking his way.

"I need you to move back down, sir. It's not safe to be up here." The man said in a calm yet firm voice, as if he was used to people pulling stupid stunts like the one Akihito was about to pull.

"But I need to get up there!" The young man said, watching the policeman narrow his eyes at him in an authoritative manner.

"It's not safe up there, sir. Please go back down and join the others." The man stated as he pointed towards the ever growing group of guests watching the fire by the pool area.

It was clear by his tone that his words were meant to be taken as an order, but still Akihito tried to move past him; with no effective result, it must be said, for the policeman was quick to grab Akihito's arm, holding him in place.

"Sir, you must back off! It's not safe!" The man practically shouted this time around; all traces of cordiality gone.

"But you don't understand. I'm staying in one of those villas!"

Akihito's latest words seemed to have an effect on the policeman, who stared at the youngster wide-eyed for a moment, albeit still holding on firmly to the latter's arm.

"Which one?" He eventually asked.

"Huh? What?"

"Which villa are you staying at?" The policeman pressed; the seriousness of his tone nevertheless escaping Akihito's notice.

"T-The largest one. At the far back." The photographer didn't understand the other man's sudden interest and tried once again to free himself from the tight grasp he was being held on.

"I'm staying at the villa with another person. I need to check if he's ok. I can't find him down by the pool area."

The policeman looked at Akihito awkwardly for a moment, before speaking up again. "Stay right here, sir." He said; his tone a lot calmer than before. "I'm going to get someone to come speak to you about that."

Akihito was about to ask the man what he had meant with his latest comment when the latter called over one of his colleagues to cover for his spot during his absence, instructing the other policeman to prevent anyone from crossing over the police line...by force, if necessary.

Akihito stayed around for only a couple of minutes, restlessness soon making him travel back down towards the pool area to try to search again for any signs of Asami.

The older man should be around there somewhere. Akihito had already spotted the majority of the resort's guests who were staying at the villas surrounding his and Asami's...even if most of them were sporting minor injuries sustained while they no doubt were escaping from the fire.

"Aki-kun! Aki-kun!" A child's voice reached him unexpectedly.

Akihito turned round in time to see young Dai escape his mother's hold and sprint towards him at full speed through the gathering crowd.

There was a relieved look on the boy's face as he grabbed hold of Akihito's legs. "I knew you'd be ok, Aki-kun! I knew it! I told my mommy I saw you leaving your house before the fire started."

It suddenly dawned on the photographer that young Dai and his mother were staying just two villas down the pathway from his and Asami's. He crouched down so he could look at Dai at eye level.

"I'm fine Dai-kun. Thank you. Say, I'm looking for Asam-, I mean, Ryuuichi-san. Have you seen him?" Akihito was trying to sound calm, but frankly he was having a hard time pulling it off.

And the fact that the boy shook his head in reply to his question, only managed to increase his feelings of apprehension.

"No…. I-I only saw the mean men." The boy mentioned, his voice low and seemingly frightened.

"What?...The mean men?...What 'mean men', Dai-kun?"

"The mean men that-"

Another large explosion ended up muffling the kid's words. A wave of exclamations and screams erupted from the crowd as they watched the remnants of a roof being propelled in the sky like exploding fireworks.

Akihito felt as if his heart wanted to jump out from his chest. This time the explosion had been closer to the back of the villas' area, nearer to where his and Asami's accommodations were located.

"I need to go up there." Akihito said resolutely, standing back up and starting up the pathway again.

Only this time though, Dai-kun latched onto his legs so tightly that Akihito couldn't move without risking making both of them fall on the gravel ground.

"You can't go up there, Aki-kun. You can't. You'll get hurt!"

Akihito tried to peel the kid away from him, but to no use.

"Dai-kun," He tried reasoning with the child instead. "I'm just going to go up the pathway to see if I can find my Ryuuichi-san, ok?"

Maybe Asami was up there helping the police and firemen remove people from the villas. Akihito had already noticed some resort staff members doing just that. Being the resort partly Asami's, there was a high chance that the business man was up on the front lines helping out, instead of staying behind like some of the others doing nothing.

Akihito made another attempt to disentangle Dai from his legs, but that only caused the boy to start crying.

"Dai-kun! I'm just going to check if the villa where I'm staying at is ok. I'll be right back." He said, trying to appease the boy's concerns.

...The child's next words though, made Akihito feel as if he'd just been shot.

"B-But you don't have a villa anymore, Aki-kun." The boy stated innocently. "The whole fire started because your villa blew up!"

(to be continued)

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><p><strong>AN:** And now for the million dollar question: What happened to Asami? dun dun dun O.o

Many thanks for your feedback and interest in the story btw =D Until the next chapter!


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